Recommended Reads from the Lonely Hearts Book Club: An Exclusive Guest Post from Lucy Gilmore, Author of The Lonely Hearts Book Club, Our April Fiction Pick

If you’ve ever been part of a book club, you know there’s nothing more exciting—or more difficult — than choosing what to read next.  

Do you pick a quirky classic like Stella Gibbons’ Cold Comfort Farm? Venture into new sci-fi worlds with Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow? Or should you duke it out Hunger Games style with whatever’s hot and notable in YA? The answer isn’t easy, which is why, when Barnes & Noble asked me to come up with a list of — 

Arthur: This is a stupid question. The answer is always the classics. Give me literary or give me death.  

Sloane: That’s not how this works, Arthur. We’re a team, remember? That means everyone gets a say. 

Maisey: Wait. Can’t we stick with the Hunger Games idea? I watched those movies a few years ago. They were fun. 

Mateo: I can’t believe we’re having this conversation — again. Let’s each put a suggestion into a hat and pick one at random. 

Greg: Uh, do you remember what happened the last time we did that? We got stuck with Grandpa’s book. I’m still having Finnegan’s Wake nightmares.   

Arthur: Good call, Greg. We could all use a little more time with James Joyce. I vote for Ulysses.  

Mateo: No. 

Greg: Absolutely not.  

Maisey: Does anyone want another piece of cake? 

Sloane: Okay, this is going nowhere. How about something that’s both literary and accessible? Amanda Flower has a great new historical mystery out about Emily Dickinson. Because I Could Not Stop for Death ticks all the boxes.  

Arthur: A mystery? Are you trying to run me into an early grave? 

Sloane: People love genre fiction for a reason, Arthur.  

Arthur: Fine. If it has to be a mystery, I’ll go as far as Case Histories by Kate Atkinson, but that’s it. The woman knows her way around a unique story structure.  

Mateo: Okay, I’m writing that one down. That’s your pick, Arthur, so you don’t get a say in anyone else’s choice. Who’s next? 

Sloane: I’m sticking with Because I Could Not Stop for Death.  

Maisey: Put me down for Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn. And don’t roll your eyes at me, Arthur. I know it’s a YA book, but Bella can’t stop going on about the series. She says there’s history and knights and everything. You love history.  

Arthur: I can’t believe I’m letting you do this to me. Someone get my oxygen mask. I can feel an attack coming on.  

Mateo: You know you aren’t allowed to use your health as an excuse anymore. Just for that, I’m putting in a YA book, too. The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes. You’ll like her. She’s not afraid to go dark. 

Greg: Poor Grandpa. I’ll take it easy on you and choose Matt Haig’s The Humans. You wanted to read that one anyway, remember? Sloane said she hasn’t cried that hard since the two of you sobbed together over The Art of Racing in the Rain— 

Arthur: That’s it. Out. Every last one of you.